Area Boys Bite Harder In Ile Ife

By Sodiq Lawal

If  you  think the menace of hooliganism is limited to Lagos, then be prepared to face the social miscreants, popularly known as area boys, in the ancient city Ile Ife as they are fast spreading their tentacles across the nation.

The hangouts of the so-called area boys, who are either forced into that way of life or are born into that particular social strata where they steal from pedestrians or forcefully take money from people going about their daily businesses.

With little or no education, they are products of broken homes while their criminal activities range from theft, arson, intimidation to extortion.

Findout Newspaper gathered that the major places that they do this in ancient city include Iremo Roads and Egbingbin while their meeting point is every night around 9pm located at Akodi Iremo where they do have their meeting with cultists, chiefs and top politicians.

Many of them are criminals and cultists that  constitute a problem to the ancient city. Majority of them are Eeye(bird) cultists.

Many Ile-Ife residents have had experiences with the area boys. They have been made to part with money and precious items by the boys.

One of the area boys, Adenekan Akeem who has turned to a pious Muslim during Ramadan, confessed to Findout Newspaper how he had dropped out of school at 11 after his father could no longer pay his fees.

Swapping the classroom for the streets, Akeem quickly became addicted to drugs.

He said that this year marked 6 years that area boys have now been spreading and witnesses more recognition in Ile Ife.

Alhaji Isiaka Olatunbosun,  the Chairman Ile-Ife National Union Of Road and Transport Workers(NURTW) said the area boys in iremo roads are a major problem, adding that members of the NURTW don't go near them because they will embarrass them.

He said: "No matter what paper you present to them, they will not let you go till they collect money from you"

"So, we are calling on government to help us flush the area boys out of the parks and bus stops in Ile Ife"

"If you stay in Iremo very early in the morning or late at night, you may be robbed by these area boys, "

"We have  called on government to take them out of the streets and the parks. They wreak havoc on  drivers, we get harassed and, at times, they vandalise our vehicles when we refuse to be extorted of sums ranging from N50 to N100".

However, Findout Newspaper also gathered that the police have been working tirelessly in curbing the miscreants.

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